Universal-joint mechanism.



No. 794,434. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905,

L. P. VALIQUET. UNIVERSAL JOINT MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, 1903.

q li' F a woo c a NiTED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

LOUIS P. VALIQUET, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO VICTOR TALKINGMACHINE COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

UNIVERSAL-JOINT MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,434, dated July 11,1905. Application filed October 1, 1903. Serial No. 175,299.

To all whom, it Wtay concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS P. VALIQUET, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the borough of Bronx, city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inUniversal- Joint Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates generally to universaljoint mechanisms designed topermit only a limited extent of motion in certain directions, and morespecifically consists of such a mechanism particularly adapted for thepurpose of supporting the sound-box and horn of a talking-machine. Insuch talking-machines, particularly those of the disk-record type, it isdesirable to have the reproducer free to swing in a horizontal directionand also within limits in a vertical direction. The downward motion ofthe sound-box should, however, be checked at a point slightly below thelevel of the record-table, so that the reproducer will be supported whenclear of the table, and when the sound-box and horn are tipped up theirmotion should be checked soon after their center of gravity passes tothe other side of the supporting-pivot, so that they may rest in thattipped-up position. My invention secures these results by means of acompact self-contained cheap construction, the parts interlocking anddispensing with ordinary fastening devices.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying;drawings, in

whicl Figure 1 is a side elevation of a talking-machine with myinvention applied thereto, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a sectionin detail. Fig. 3 is a detail view at right angles to plane of Fig. 1,and Fig. 4 is a detail showing the limits of vertical motion in theuniversal joint.

Throughout the drawings like reference-figures indicate like parts.

1 is the motor-casing of atalking-machine, 2 the rotating tablesupported thereon carrying a sound-record 2*, and 3 the ordinary arm forsupporting the universal-joint mechanism which guides and supports thesound-box 5 and the horn 6.

In the outer end of the arm 3 is the usual vertical journal-bearing 7,in which is journaled a vertical pivot-pin 8, having an enlarged head 9.A cylindrical opening is bored or otherwise formed in the head 9, theaxis of 5 5 said opening being at right angles to the axis of thepivot-pin or approximately at right angles thereto. The head 9 also hasa V- shaped opening 11 formed therein, the point of the V entering thebefore-described cylin- 6o drical opening and the plane of the V beingat right angles to the axis of said cylindrical opening, as indicated inFigs. 3 and 4. A

.short shaft 10 is journaled in the cylindrical opening above described,and this shaft is pro- 6 5 vided with an exterior enlargement 14, boredat right angles to the axis of the shaft to receive the swinging arm 4,on the end of which is mounted the sound-box 5. This swinging arm 4 isheld in any position of adjustment by means of the set-screw 15 or otherconvenient means.

The horn-supporting rod 12, formed in any convenient shape to engagewith the horn 6, has its end of'a proper size and shape to pass throughthe V-shaped opening 11 and threaded to engage with a threaded opening13 in the shaft 10, which threaded opening registers with the V-shapedopening 11 when the parts are in their proper position, as shown in Fig.2.

Vith the parts proportioned as shown in Fig. 1 one of the edges or wallsof the V- shaped opening, as 11, is substantially vertical and theother, 11 is inclined at the proper 8 5 angle to the plane of thehorizon when the talking-machine is standing upon a horizontal surface.

The operation of the foregoing apparatus is as follows: The parts beingassembled, as 9 shown in full lines in the various figures, thesound-box 5 is free to swing on the vertical pivot 8 in a horizontaldirection and also free to swing in a vertical direction asufficient'distance to more than compensate for any inequalities in therecord-disk 2*. When the sound-box is moved to one side of therecordtable 2 and allowed to fall, its downward movementis soon checkedby the horn-support 12 coming in contact with the wall 11 of the V-shaped opening 11 in the head 9 of the pin 8. On the other hand, whenthe sound-box 5, with the horn 6, is lifted up, so that the swinging arm4 reaches the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the horn-support12 will strike the other wall 11 of the V-shaped opening 11. By thattime the center of gravity of the soundbox and horn having passedslightly to the right of the axis of the shaft 10 (looking at the partsas shown in Fig. 4) the weight of the sound-box and horn will hold thesame in the elevated or tipped-up position. In taking the apparatusapart it is only necessary to unscrew the horn-support 12 and withdrawit from the V shaped opening, loosen the thumb-screw 15, and every partcan be separated from every other part. In reassembling the parts theinsertion of the horn-support 12 into the threaded opening 13* andtightening of the thumb-screw 15 looks the parts in combination.

Among the advantages of my invention are the solidity and compactness ofthe construction, the fewness of parts, and the cheapness, resultingfrom the fact that the various elements may be readily cast, turned, andbored by machinery, with very little costly finishing being required.

While I have illustrated my invention as applied to talking-machines, itis evident that the universal-joint might be employed for otherpurposes, and it is also evident that various changes could be made inthe proportions of the parts and their configuration with.- outdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention so long as therelative arrangement described herein is substantially preserved.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a limited universal-joint mechanism, the combination with apivoted member having a cylindrical opening extending therethroughtransversely to its pivoted axis, of a shaft journaled in'said opening,a radial projection also carried by said shaft and means carried by saidpivoted member adapted to limit the movement of said projection.

2. In a limited universal-joint mechanism, the combination with apivoted member having a cylindrical opening extending transversely toits pivoted axis, of a shaft journaled in said opening, a socket carriedby the end of said shaft, a radial projection also carried by said shaftand stops on said member adapted to limit the movement of saidprojection.

3. In a limited universal-joint mechanism,

the combination with a pivoted member having a cylindrical openingextending transversely to its axis, of a shaft journaled in saidopening, a socket carried by the end of said shaft, a radial pin alsocarried by said shaft, there being an arcuate slot in said memberadapted to limit the movement of said pin and a connection carried bysaid socket which together with said pin is adapted to form an operativeconnection with the device upon which said universal joint is used.

4. In a limited universal-joint mechanism, the combination of ajournal-bearing, a pivotpin journaled therein having an enlarged headwith a cylindrical opening through said head at rightangles to thepivot-pin, and a V-shaped opening in said head in a plane at rightangles to the cylindrical opening, the point of the V entering thecylindrical opening, a shaft journaled in said cylindrical opening, anda pin passing through said V-shaped opening and into the shaft.

5. In a limited universal-joint mechanism, the combination of ajournal-bearing, a pivotpin journaled therein having an enlarged headwith a cylindrical opening through said head at right angles to thepivot-pin,and a V-shaped opening in said head in a plane at right anglesto the cylindrical opening, the point of the V entering the cylindricalopening, a shaft journaled in said cylindrical opening, and a pinpassing through said V-shaped opening and into the shaft, said shaftbeing provided with an exterior enlargement bored with a cylindricalopening at approximately a right angle to the axis of the shaft. I

6. In a limited universal-joint mechanism, the combination of ajournal-bearing, a pivotpin journaled therein having an enlarged headwith a cylindrical opening through said head at right angles to thepivot-pin, and a V-shaped opening in said head in a plane at rightangles to the cylindrical opening, the point of the V entering thecylindrical opening, a shaft journaled in said cylindrical opening, anda pin passing through said V-shaped opening and into the shaft, saidshaft being provided with an exterior enlargement bored with acylindrical opening at approximately a right angle to the axis of theshaft and a set-screwv mounted in said enlargement of the shaft.

7. In a mechanism for supporting the soundbox and horn of atalking-machine, the combination of an arm having a verticaljournalbearing, a pin having an enlargement at its upper end journaledtherein, provided with a cylindrical opening on a horizontal axis and aV-shaped opening in the upper part in a plane at right angles to thecylindrical opening extending inward to the same, the walls of one endof said V-shaped opening being vertical,

ITO

a shaft journaled in said horizontal opening having an exteriorenlargement bored through to receive a swinging arm, and a set-screw forholding said arm in place, a threaded opening in the horizontal shaftregistering with the V- shaped opening in the head of the verticalpivot, and a horn-support provided with a threaded end adapted to extendthrough the V- shaped opening in the head and screw into the threadedopening in the shaft. Signed at New York, N. Y., this 21st day ofSeptember, 1903.

LOUIS P. VALIQUET.

Witnesses:

J. E. PEARSON, M. G. CRAWFORD.

